My First Century

[jarushby]

Starting JOGLE in a months time so starting to increase the mileage (and climbing). Yesterday I completed my first century (along with 6,000ft of climbing) and the legs are still OK this morning.

I live in South Wales so hills are never hard to find. My route was :-

Tonteg - Treherbert, across the Rhigos

drop down to heads of the valleys road and then take the back road to Nant-DDU.

Head back down A470 to Merthry then onto Quakers yard on the old road.

Across through Ystrad to Caerphilly.

Over Caerphilly mountain into Cardiff

Down to Cardiff Bay, onto Penarth and then Barry.

Back to Cardiff through Wenvoe then back home on the Llantrisant road cutting through Esail Isaf.



I am hoping that this will hold me in good stead for Devon/Cornwall. Has anyone who knows the roads above done JOGLE/LEJOG?. How does Devon/Corwall compare?

 

[shirokazan]

Well, I don't know those exact roads but I did cycle through South Wales a few weeks back (Swansea > Llantwit Major > Caerphilly > Merthyr Tydfil > Abergavenny > Monmouth and back home to Bedfordshire). That's pretty hilly territory you've been tackling and a century ride to boot, so I confidently predict that you'll have no problem doing JOGLE. The hills are tough in Devon and Cornwall but you'll survive!

All the best and enjoy the ride.

 

[jarushby]

Well, I don't know those exact roads but I did cycle through South Wales a few weeks back (Swansea > Llantwit Major > Caerphilly > Merthyr Tydfil > Abergavenny > Monmouth and back home to Bedfordshire). That's pretty hilly territory you've been tackling and a century ride to boot, so I confidently predict that you'll have no problem doing JOGLE. The hills are tough in Devon and Cornwall but you'll survive!

All the best and enjoy the ride.

Thanks for the encouragement. I am "reasonably" confident about the ride as far as Devon. The stories of the hills beyond this fill me with dread and it seems the only way to avoid the biggest climbs is to hit the A30 which I would rather not do. So I decided to try to mirror the amount of climbing using local routes ( South Wales). However, "bike hike" only tells you so much. There is nothing like personal experience for the comparison.